Donald Trump: Controversy over AI Image of President Resembling Jesus on Truth Social

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - In early April 2026, US President Donald Trump became the center of public attention after posting an image generated by artificial intelligence (AI) on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The controversial image depicted him resembling Jesus Christ, complete with white robes and a healing pose.

This post, which appeared to coincide with Orthodox Easter, quickly sparked a wave of outrage and widespread debate across various circles, including among his own base of religiously conservative supporters.

The incident happened amidst heightened tensions between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV, with Trump having previously sharply criticized the leader of the Catholic Church.

The image's removal the following day, though without official explanation, is believed to have been a response to the significant backlash.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 President Trump posts image portraying himself as Jesus Christ. pic.twitter.com/utqhVoLgQ8

— Remarks (@remarks) April 13, 2026

The AI ​​image posted by Donald Trump on Sunday, April 12, 2026, depicts him wearing a white robe and a red sash, with light emanating from his hands and head, suggesting a healing act.

In the image, Donald Trump is seen touching the forehead of a man who appears ill, while the background is filled with American and religious symbolism, such as the Statue of Liberty, fireworks, fighter jets, and an eagle.

Later, Trump told reporters that, although he posted the image, he thought it depicted him "as a doctor."

“And had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker, which we support. And only the fake news could come up with that one,” he said.

This post comes after Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy article on Truth Social, calling him "weak in evil" and "terrible in foreign policy."

Pope Leo XIV himself had previously criticized US foreign policy, particularly regarding the war in Iran, and called for peace.

Tensions between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV have been increasing for some time, with the Pope refusing to engage in direct debate while continuing to preach the Gospel message of peace.

“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” Pope Leo said on Monday en route to Algiers, where the first US-born pontiff is beginning an 11-day visit to four African countries.

President Trump's post of the AI-based image sparked widespread outrage, even from some religious conservatives who typically support him.

Many called the post "disgusting" and "outrageous blasphemy."

Conservative figures such as Fox News commentator Riley Gaines and Megan Basham of the Daily Wire strongly criticized the post, calling for President Trump to remove the post and apologize.

“This is gross blasphemy. Faith is not a prop. You don’t need to portray yourself as a saviour when your record should speak for itself.”

Meanwhile, Megan Basham called it "outrageous blasphemy" and urged Trump to immediately remove it and seek forgiveness.

Senator Bernie Sanders also weighed in, calling President Trump's behavior "insane and selfish."

After deleting the controversial post, President Trump denied that the image was intended to depict him as Jesus Christ.

He stated that the image was supposed to show him as a "doctor who makes people better" or a "Red Cross worker."

Trump insisted that he was indeed making people better and refused to apologize to the Pope, stating that he was simply responding to Pope Leo XIV's criticism.

While the exact reason for the post's removal was not explicitly explained, it came after a significant wave of criticism from various parties.

Some speculated that the removal may have been due to President Trump's realization that many people didn't understand his humor, as suggested by JD Vance.

Vance, the vice president, dismissed the image as a "joke" and explained that Trump deleted it because many people didn't understand his sense of humor.